


Christmas Wish

by janto321 (FaceofMer)



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Torchwood
Genre: Bittersweet, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Family, Gen, Present Tense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-03
Updated: 2014-12-03
Packaged: 2018-02-27 23:28:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2710580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaceofMer/pseuds/janto321
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack Harkness shows up at Martha and Mickey's house for Christmas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmas Wish

Martha and Mickey never know when he's going to show up, but he almost always looks banged up . Not physically of course, since he heals so fast, but there's something in his eyes and in the way he moves that aches. He's a part of their family of course and always welcome, and the kids know him as that odd Uncle that shows up every now and again.

It's snowy for once, on this cold December day. Mickey's home with the kids, Martha is off helping quell something minor before it becomes major, but she's promised to be home by the holiday. Jack doesn't feel the cold as he comes up the walk to the non-descript brick house with a tricycle falling off one end of the porch.

Rita opens the door before Jack can knock. She's eight now and grins and hugs his waist, tugging him inside. Standing in the foyer, Jack hugs her back, only to feel another kid climbing under the back of his coat. He turns and picks up five-year old Sam, hugging him tightly too, as if reminding himself of the good things that happen. Mickey comes out holding Jackie, their youngest. She sucks her thumb and watches Jack.

"Guess she doesn't remember me," says Jack with a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. 

"This is Uncle Jack," says Rita to her sister.

"What's this?" asks Sam, holding a small item he'd liberated from Jack's pocket.

"Nothing." Jack takes it back, shaking his head at the boy. 

Mickey chuckles. "Yeah, you've got to watch your pockets around him. Come on in, I've got hot chocolate."

They sit around the table and chatter. Soon enough Jack finds himself unwinding and wearing a paper crown. Jackie finally relents and comes to sit with him, picking at his suspenders. It's clearly the first time Jack's relaxed in ages.

The kids demand stories, Sam especially, and Jack regales them with heavily censored versions under Mickey's watchful gaze. Eventually the kids are packed off to bed and Mickey breaks out the scotch and Jack tells him some of the real version. Never all of it, of course, but Mickey understands and tells him some of what they've been up to as well.

A little while later, Jack lies awake in the spare bedroom and listens to the house sleep.

Martha gets home the next day. Jack teases her about saving the world yet again. Mickey proudly says that's what she does. It snows again in the late afternoon and Jack takes the kids out to build snow forts and let Mickey and Martha get some time alone. Of course this all ends with Jack half-buried in a pile of snow, the kids gleefully trying to bury him the rest of the way and Jack laughing in a way that almost sounds unfamiliar to his own ears. It's been too long since he's let himself be like this.

Christmas morning, Sam is surprised to find Jack already downstairs when he tries to sneak down and shake the presents at four in the morning. Jack takes out a deck of cards and they're still playing a game when Rita comes down an hour later and joins them. By the time Mickey and Martha and Jackie are up, Jack's made tea for everyone.

Once everyone is settled, presents are torn into with abandon. Jack smiles and talks about how human kids never change, always look forward to Christmas morning, even a few thousand years into the future when they've long since left Earth behind.

Jack isn't expecting anything, but Rita looks at her siblings and they take out a small box and offer it to him. Smiling, Jack takes it and opens it with more care than they've seen. It's a watch, something a tourist would buy with Big Ben in the background. But it reminds Jack of a slow dance on an invisible warship.

He's still long enough that Jackie hugs his leg. Smiling, Jack reaches down to pick her up and hug her, thanks the kids. Rita explains that this way he'll remember them. Jack promises he'll always remember them, just like this, looking over Rita's shoulder at where Martha and Mickey are holding hands and knows they understand what he really means.

Sam puts it on his wrist for him and they start the cleanup. Mickey makes them breakfast and Jack knows it's nearly time to leave.

That afternoon he hugs everyone all over again and thanks them, knowing he'll treasure this. He thanks them again for the watch and promises he won't take it off. Then he's gone, leaving the house just a little bit empty.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me at [merindab.tumblr.com.](http://merindab.tumblr.com/)


End file.
